


In The Light of Christmas

by Apparentlynotreallyfinnish



Series: Lighthouse AU [3]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Established Relationship, Fluff, Light Smut, M/M, lighthouse au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:15:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21808780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish/pseuds/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish
Summary: When they first met Rhett was a grumpy lighthouse keeper and Link was a cheerful helicopter pilot. Despite Rhett's resistance, Link's monthly visits turned his life upside down and opened his heart to love again. Now they are married and happily living together. But when their third Christmas together comes around, a happenstance meeting at a store threatens that happiness.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Series: Lighthouse AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1626430
Comments: 21
Kudos: 93
Collections: Mythical Secret Santa 2019





	In The Light of Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Let Me Be Your Light](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18452429) by [Apparentlynotreallyfinnish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish/pseuds/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish). 



Rhett fiddled with his wedding ring. It was almost a year since Link had slipped it onto his finger. The memory was still fresh in his mind—details of it vivid and poignant. They’d stood under the stars, blanketed by darkness. There had been no music during the ceremony, only the constant soundtrack of the north Atlantic Ocean crashing against the lonely piece of rock they stood on. Their friends—the little family they’d gathered around them to celebrate their love on a cold winter’s night—cheered and applauded when Rhett grabbed Link around his waist and pulled him into a heated kiss.

_Husband._

Rhett had a husband. He loved calling Link that—in bed especially. It did something to Link. Made him almost ravenous for Rhett and his touch. Even after close to a year, the word still felt fresh, new, and exciting. The man attached to it was everything to Rhett, and the thought that he’d get to spend the rest of his life calling him his own was more than he could have ever hoped for. And he’d worked hard to be the man he thought Link deserved by his side. Except now it seemed that maybe it hadn’t been enough.

Rhett rubbed the smooth surface of the ring. Usually, when he did that, he felt calmer—now it only made him more anxious.

“Rhett! How nice to bump into you like this!” Alex had exclaimed a mere half an hour ago when they’d met amongst colorful, blinking lights and copious amounts of tinsel and glitter. 

The store was not one Rhett frequented. He was coming home from a meeting and popped in to get some dog food. The Christmas decoration aisle had distracted him, its shelves blanketed by red and green, gold and silver. Everything was bright and blinking and obnoxiously cheery. It still made Rhett’s stomach turn and his hands tremble. 

Link, on the other hand, loved all of it—everything from the most garish decorations to the calm and quiet moments spent drinking eggnog by the fire. And yet, they’d barely had any decorations the two previous Christmases they’d spent together. Link was too understanding—always claiming that he didn’t mind that much, that he was happy to spend the holidays with Rhett, the only indication of Christmas time being their collection of Christmas themed snow globes they kept buying each other. 

Despite Link’s insistence, Rhett knew he missed the glitter and glamour of his favorite holiday, and for a long time now, he’d been determined to get over his aversion to Christmas. So, there he was—immersing himself into his self-appointed exposure therapy—trying to decide which little snow globe Link would like best when Alex had suddenly appeared beside him. Usually, running into him would have been a delight. 

Not this time, though.

“We should get together soon,” Alex said after Rhett had mumbled an awkward hello. “Haven’t seen you guys in ages.”

“We should. That would be lovely. I gotta go. Let’s text, set something up,” Rhett muttered, already backing away from Alex and his confused expression. Rhett forgot the dog food. He walked out of the store empty-handed with a buzzing brain and shaky legs. He sat in his car and held onto the steering wheel while he tried to alleviate his ragged breaths. He counted. He counted again. But no amount of deep breaths could calm his wildly beating heart. 

This had to be a misunderstanding. 

His hands trembled when he dug out his phone. Rhett was a slow texter at best of times—now it seemed to take him minutes to write a few simple words.

_How’s it going?_

Link’s reply came quickly.

_Great! Making lots of_

_progress. Alex says hi._

Rhett’s stomach sank, and his forehead fell against the steering wheel. He couldn’t breathe. He _needed_ to breathe. He needed air. He needed open spaces and wind and the ocean and...

It was probably not the best idea to drive in his condition, but Rhett saw no other option. He was sure that it was by luck alone that he managed to get himself to the marina. He parked the car illegally—a ticket seemed like the least of his problems—and hurried towards the water. Rhett walked briskly, pulling his jacket tighter around him, telling himself that it was to protect himself from the harsh northern wind, not to soothe the ache in his chest.

The pier was nearly empty. It was a week before Christmas, a time for snuggling inside with a cup of hot cocoa, not pacing around at the shore, braving the unyielding cold of the ocean air.

Rhett stopped there, at the very end of the longest pier and breathed deep. He could smell the sea—salt and decay and something he had no name for. It calmed him almost instantly. Rhett pushed his hands deep into his jacket pockets and fought the tears that the wind was trying to rip from his eyes. 

Or maybe it wasn’t the wind. Maybe it was the fact that his husband had lied to him.

“Alex needs some help with painting his new apartment,” Link had said a week ago. “I was thinking of going Wednesday when I don’t have a shift. We were talking about having a few beers afterwards since we haven’t seen each other in a while. Might sleep on his couch.”

When Link had left early that morning, Rhett had been pleased. Link had been acting strangely for the past few weeks—withdrawn into his thoughts and uncharacteristically jumpy. Rhett had thought that an evening with a good friend might be just the thing to pull him out of his funk.

But it appeared that Link was not with Alex at all. This meant that Rhett had no idea where his husband was about to spend his night.

Rhett leaned against the railing and stared down at the whitecapped waves crashing below. 

They were happy. If he’d been asked this morning, he would’ve said it with 100 % confidence. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows—no relationship was. Rhett still had his dark days, especially this time of year, but now he had tools to work through them. And they went to couples therapy. They’d been doing that regularly well before they got married. The thought of Link cheating on him was unfathomable. And yet…

\---

Rhett left the marina only after the frigid wind had drawn all feeling from his extremities. He stopped by the corner store to get the forgotten dog food. At the apartment, Jade and Barbara greeted him enthusiastically, and Rhett took them for a quick walk before settling into a lonely night. 

The dogs snuggled with him on the bed, almost as if they could sense his somber mood. He tried to write for a while but gave up soon enough. The novel he was reading couldn’t keep his concentration either. In the end, he just sat on the bed and stared at the opposite wall with unseeing eyes.

He tried hard not to let the dark thoughts spiral, but the image of Link in a stranger's arms was too heavy to keep at bay. It haunted him, kept him up until the wee hours of the night, and after sleep finally won, brought him nightmares of sweat-glistening bodies and his husband moaning someone else’s name. 

The bright morning light did nothing to quell Rhett’s anxieties. His movements were slow and automated as he fed the dogs and took them out. He was barely able to listen when he bumped into Mrs. Henderson in the hallway, and she excitedly told him about her grandson’s music recital. 

“Rhett, honey. Is something wrong?” she asked, her hand wrapping around Rhett’s arm to squeeze lightly. Rhett forced a smile onto his face.

“Didn’t get much sleep. Everything is fine.” _Except my husband is God knows where, and I can’t stop imagining him leaving me._

It was already almost six p.m. when Rhett finally heard the front door open. Jade, who had been sleeping on Rhett’s lap, shot up and rushed to the door. Barbara rose much slower, licked Rhett’s hand a few times before she jumped down from the couch and ambled after Jade. 

“Hello, babies,” Link cooed in the foyer. ”Who’s a good girl? You are. Yes, you are. You too, Barbs. Come here.”

Rhett listened to Link’s soft voice and tried to steel himself for what was coming. He pressed his palms against his thighs and wiped away the gathering moisture. The lump in his throat felt like it was choking him. 

After hours of mulling over the dark thoughts that had kept him up last night, Rhett had decided that he was going to grovel. If it came to it, he was going to beg. If Link had been with someone else… Rhett closed his eyes as the thought made his heart ache, and the corners of his eyes prickled with tears. If that was the case, Rhett would forgive him and plead for him to stay.

Link stepped into the living room, and his face lit up when he saw Rhett.

“Babe! You’re home. You didn’t say anything. I thought you were out,” Link said, walked up to Rhett, and leaned down to give him a kiss. Rhett accepted the light touch of his lips and drew in the scent of Link’s skin. He smelled like himself - fresh and a little bit sweet. No aftershave scents lingering—nothing to strengthen Rhett’s suspicions. 

“I’m sorry I’m so late. Alex and I got caught up talking. Have you had dinner already?” Link asked and walked into the kitchen. Rhett heard him opening the fridge door. 

“You wanna warm up some leftovers or order something in?” Link hollered.

“Link,” Rhett started, voice cracking embarrassingly. He coughed and swallowed around the lump in his throat.

“Yeah, yeah. I hear you. I know we should do homecooked more often. But once in a while doesn’t hurt, right?

“No. I wasn’t... “ Rhett mumbled, trying to find the strength to have this conversation. “Please, can you come here. I need to—”

Link stepped back into the living room. His expression had changed. His brows were now threaded together, worry painted on his features. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I went to get some food for the puppies yesterday. Guess who I bumped into at the store?”

“Who?”

“Alex,” Rhett said and watched the color drain from Link’s face. Rhett’s stomach sank and his chest felt hollow. He swallowed, but his throat felt as dry as it had before.

“Baby, I—” Link started, his face pale and his expression horrified. Rhett threw his hands up to stop him. 

“I don’t want to know. Please. Don’t… I don’t care who you were with, I just—“ Rhett was swallowing down sobs, tears already rolling slowly down his cheeks. “Please, don’t leave me. I can do better. I know how I get this time of year. I’m so sorry. I’ll do anything. I’ll—”

Rhett’s babbling pleas were interrupted by Link’s mouth pressing against his. Somehow Link had ended up on Rhett’s lap. His hands were in Rhett’s hair and cupping his face. Rhett kissed him back fiercely, afraid that this might be the last time he could. 

“I wasn’t— Oh, God! I’m so sorry I made you...” Link mumbled between wet kisses. “Baby, no. I would never!”

Rhett tried to understand Link’s words. A hope bloomed inside him.

“You weren’t…?” he husked against the curve of Link’s jaw. Link shook his head frantically. 

“No! No. God, I really messed up. I should’ve…” Link seemed to be having trouble getting the words out. He was crying now, too. Rhett was holding onto him, arms wrapped tightly around his waist, pulling them closer together. He buried his face into the crook of Link’s neck and whispered: “Where were you?”

“It was supposed to be a surprise…” Link murmured, petting Rhett’s hair. “A Christmas present.”

“You needed to spend a night somewhere to get me a Christmas present?” 

“Yeah. It’s… complicated. I had this whole plan. I can’t believe it didn’t even occur to me that you might see Alex. I should’ve texted him. I should’ve told him what I was planning.” Link sighed.

“I can’t believe you spent the whole night thinking I was… Why didn’t you call?” Link asked, pushing himself off of Rhett, looking down at him. Link’s eyes were somehow more blue than ever, swimming with tears and regret. Rhett moved to brush away his tears and shrugged.

“I couldn’t just call and accuse you on the phone. That would have been… No. And I wasn’t even sure. I hoped I was wrong. I hoped there was another explanation…”

“But you still spent the night worrying, didn’t you?”

Rhett blushed and nodded.

“ _Baby,_ ” Link moaned and kissed him again, deep and fervent. When they parted, he pressed their foreheads together and took a deep breath. “I love you, Rhett McLaughlin. You’re the love of my life, my husband. This thing we have… I hate to break it to you, but it’s for life. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

A small sob escaped from Rhett’s throat, and he buried himself into Link’s chest to hide his tears. 

“Show me,” Rhett muttered against Link’s sweatshirt. 

“The present?” Link asked, trying to get up. Rhett held onto him tighter, and his mouth traveled along Link’s neck all the way up to his ear.

“No, show me you’re still mine,” he whispered into Link’s ear, making him shiver in his arms. Link’s hand slid up Rhett’s back and dove into his hair. He grabbed a handful of Rhett’s curls and tugged his head back. Link’s pupils were blown, eyes still glistening from the tears. He licked his lips and drew in a stuttered breath. 

“Take me to bed.” 

They moved to the bedroom in a series of stumbles and pauses. Rhett had trouble keeping his hands and mouth off of Link, and more than once in their short journey, he pressed his husband against the wall to grind their bodies together and kiss him with what could only be described as desperation. Their clothes were strewn about, frantic touches marking each state of undress until they fell on the bed, naked and entangled together. 

It was only after Rhett was fully sheathed inside Link that their rush died down. Everything stilled. All Rhett could hear was their quickened breaths and his thumping heart. Link was under him, wrapped around his body like a vine, eyes still wet with tears. His face was blushed and gorgeous, the blue of his eyes as beautifully piercing as it had been all those years ago when Rhett saw him the first time. 

“My love,” Rhett whispered with a soft smile. “My flyboy.”

Link pulled Rhett into a deep kiss, shifting his hips, prompting him to start moving. Rhett obeyed, pulling out and thrusting back in slowly. He kept the deliberately torturous pace, even though it was almost too much for both of them to bear.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I made you wonder,” Link muttered against the crook of Rhett’s neck where he’d burrowed to press little kisses onto Rhett’s heated skin as he made love to him. 

“I’m sorry I wondered. I should’ve trusted you,” Rhett groaned as the tight heat of his husband’s perfect ass was driving him towards a climax. 

“I _love_ you.”

“I love _you_.”

After that, they were quiet, apart from the moans and gasps pulled from them by the way their bodies worked together. Rhett came first, spilling inside Link with a soft gasp and a sob that rocked them both. While still high on his afterglow, he gently took Link apart with his hands and mouth. 

\---

It was the morning of Christmas Day. Rhett had come to the lighthouse with the puppies a few days before Link, saying he needed time to write before Christmas break. It was only partly true. He had actually done some writing—that part was true—but the main reason for his early departure from the city was a surprise he had planned for his husband.

Link’s last work shift before the holidays had been the previous night, and he’d promised to fly to Rhett first thing in the morning. He’d arrive any minute now. Rhett was pacing around the room, looking at it from all angles, judging his handiwork. He kept moving things around and tugging to make sure things were exactly as he’d wanted them.

Soon, he heard the outer door opening and closing. A fluttering filled Rhett’s belly, and he rushed towards the kitchen door. There was a loud thump followed by a string of curses, and a familiar clatter coming from downstairs. Rhett chuckled under his breath. He guessed that Link had tripped on his feet again and brought down the pile of boxes next to the stairs—it wouldn’t be the first time and definitely not the last. Rhett opened the door and was met with a sight he hadn’t expected.

Link was on the floor—as Rhett had suspected—but on top of him was a fairly large Christmas tree that seemed to be somehow stuck into the banister of the stairs.

“Hello, darlin’,” Rhett said with a smirk as he descended. “Having trouble?”

Link peeked from between the branches and grimaced. “A little help, please?”

With a goodhearted chuckle, Rhett grabbed the tree, yanked it free, and lifted it off of his husband. Link scrambled up, wiping some loose needles from his clothes. He was averting Rhett’s gaze and biting his lip.

“So…” Rhett said. “What’s this then?”

Link blushed and glanced at Rhett. “I know how you feel Christmas stuff. I do! But we could just put the tree up. We don’t even have to decorate it. It’ll smell nice, and I know you like wood…” Link was interrupted by Rhett’s lewd look below his waist. Link rolled his eyes at him, but Rhett could see his worried expression slowly morphing into an amused grin.

Rhett set the tree to lean against the wall and took Link’s hand. “Come with me.”

“Rhett, please… I really think—”

They stepped onto the second floor, and Link was rendered speechless. Rhett watched him, waiting for a reaction. Link just stood still and stared at the room. The butterflies in Rhett’s belly were starting to riot. Did he not like it? Maybe this was not his style? Maybe it was too much?

Rhett turned to look at the room, too. Lush, faux-realistic garlands circled the room at eye-level. A string of fairy lights followed their path, bathing the room in warm, tinkling light. The dining table was set with a sparkling white tablecloth with silver accents, and a gorgeous bouquet of red and white blooms that the florist had assured was all of the quintessential Christmas flowers. Their collection of snow globes was set on the bureau next to the stones. And beside them stood a ceiling height Christmas tree waiting to be decorated. The open box under it was filled with colorful garlands and baubles.

“I thought we could decorate the tree together…” Rhett muttered, glancing at Link quickly. “But if you don’t like any of it, I can—”

“No, I _love_ it.” Link’s voice was a hushed whisper. He finally stirred and wandered around the room, marveling at the decorations and even leaned down to smell the flowers. With every step, his smile widened more and more, until he was beaming brighter than the light atop the very building they stood in. Link circled back to Rhett and grabbed him into a tight hug.

“Did you do this for me?” he mumbled against Rhett’s sweater. Rhett held him close.

“Merry Christmas, baby,” Rhett whispered with a wide smile. Link lifted his face from Rhett’s chest, and Rhett bent down to give him a kiss. Link grabbed Rhett’s collar and pulled him closer, opening his mouth to deepen the kiss. Rhett got lost in his warmth. It was mind-boggling that every time they kissed, it still seemed like a discovery. 

Suddenly, Link pulled away and let out an excited ‘oh!’ He ran down the stairs and left a slightly confused Rhett standing at the door. Link soon bounded back up with a small present in hand.

“Here!” he said, thrusting the package to Rhett. He bounced in place, an elated smile spread across his face. “Open it!”

Rhett turned the present in his hands and glanced at Link curiously. “Is this it then? Is this why, for a day, I thought you were leaving me?”

Link scrunched his nose and squinted at Rhett. Rhett laughed at his expression and walked to the kitchen table. Link followed close behind and sat on a chair next to him. Rhett carefully tore through the golden wrapping paper and revealed a red cardboard box. He pried the lid of it open and took out a snow globe.

“Oh,” he said and lifted it for closer inspection. It was gorgeous. The orb stood on a jagged black base, reminiscent of the rocks of his island. Inside the globe, covered in little snowflakes, was a red and white lighthouse. Not exactly like the one they were in, but so similar that it took Rhett's breath away.

“It’s beautiful,” he whispered. He did wonder, though, why a snow globe would require Link to travel so far that he’d had to spend a night away from home. He was just about to ask when Link burst into an explanation.

“I had this great uncle, Richard. He died a few months ago—”

“Oh, I’m sorry. You didn’t say anything.”

“We weren’t that close. I’d only seen him a few times as a kid. And I didn’t say anything because I didn’t know until a few weeks ago when a lawyer called me to tell me that Richard had left me some money in his will.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. And due to some legal rigmarole, I had to fly to New York to sign some papers to get it.”

Rhett looked at the snow globe, shook it, and watched the little lighthouse disappear into a swirling snowstorm.

“So, did you buy this in New York?” he asked, feeling even more confused. Why hadn’t Link told him about the inheritance? They had no money troubles, no need to go secretly to surprise Rhett.

“No, I actually bought that in Quebec.”

“What? Are you telling me that you went to Quebec as well?”

“Yeah. I was basically on an airplane for 24 hours with little pit-stops in between.”

“Why were you in Quebec?”

“To make an offer. This thing…” Link said, pointing at the snow globe in Rhett’s hand. “…is just a placeholder for the real present.”

“An offer on what?” Rhett was more confused than ever.

“Right after the lawyer called me, I got another call. Well, actually, _you_ got a call, but I answered it because you were in the shower. It was John. He was calling to tell you that the lighthouse is being decommissioned. I guess nowadays they do everything with satellites and whatnot. The Navy has no use for this old thing anymore, and they were putting it up for sale.”

Rhett grabbed Link’s arm and stared at him with wide, unblinking eyes. His hand was shaking, and his heartbeat was suddenly roaring in his ears, making everything around him sound muddled. 

“No…” Rhett gasped when he finally put two and two together,

“Yes,” Link said with a giddy smile. “I made an offer. They accepted it. We have to go to Quebec to sign the deed after Christmas.”

“Link,” Rhett said. “Are you telling me—?”

“I bought us the lighthouse!”

“You bought us the lighthouse?” Rhett whispered, still in disbelief. Link dragged his chair closer to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. His head fell on Rhett's shoulder, and he pressed a tender kiss against Rhett’s neck.

“I know how much you love it here. And I love it too. I couldn’t bear the thought of someone else owning it.”

Rhett stared past Link’s salt-and-pepper mane at the room around them dressed in holiday cheer. It seemed fitting that this was the Christmas it was decorated. It was theirs now. The creaky stairs, the finicky stove, the storm shutters that banged in the wind—the whole lighthouse with all of its flaws and imperfections, with all of its wonderful little nooks and crannies, with the memories that had seeped into the wood and stone. It was the place where Rhett had been at his highest and his lowest—the birthplace of their love and the place where Rhett had almost destroyed it all. Rhett loved the place with all his heart. The fact that Link saw that so clearly, made Rhett love him more which was something he hadn’t thought was possible. 

Rhett’s arms wrapped around Link, and he found Link’s mouth with his own. They melted into each other. The kiss was passionate and tasted of salt. It took Rhett a moment to realize it was because he was crying.

“Are you happy?” Link murmured against his lips before kissing his tears away.

“So happy. Happiest man on Earth to have you in my bed every night. The lighthouse is just a nice bonus.”

“You dirty, old flirt,” Link giggled and kissed him again. They sat there for a while, staring at the snow globe.

“I should take the dogs for a walk,” Rhett finally said with a sigh.

“I’ll come too,” Link said, pulling Rhett up with him. “Then we can decorate the trees!”

“Oh, God…” Rhett groaned, remembering the tree downstairs. “This is gonna become a thing, isn’t it?”

Link laughed and clapped his hands excitedly together. “Yup! Every year from now on, we’re getting _two_ trees.”

“I’ve created a monster,” Rhett said with an exasperated sigh, but he couldn’t stop the lopsided smile that was tugging at the corner of his lips. 

Link opened the door that led upstairs and whistled. Jade and Barbara bounded down the stairs with their ears flopping and their little paws slipping on the polished wood. Link gave them both a thorough petting as Rhett pulled on his jacket and knitted hat. They stepped out into the bright and cold morning together.

They walked briskly, trailing the dogs that ran ahead, barking at sea birds that flew by unaffected by the yips and growls. Link hung onto Rhett’s arm, and Rhett turned to give him a kiss on his already reddening nose. When they reached Merle, they turned to admire the lighthouse.

“I can’t believe it’s ours,” Rhett said. Link tilted his head onto Rhett’s shoulder and sighed.

“I know. But what else could I do? I married a lighthouse keeper. What is a keeper without the thing he’s supposed to keep?” Link teased. Rhett let out a huff of a laugh.

“You’re the thing I keep,” he murmured. Link’s delighted laugh warmed Rhett’s heart, and they wrapped tighter around each other to watch the dogs run up and down the path in the slowly falling snow. 


End file.
